Claremont, CA - March 2, 2003 - After kicking off the three day Vuelta a Valencia on Friday with a sweeping victory in the time trial, where Schroeder riders took 5 of the top ten spots, the team went on to seal the deal in the Vuelta a Valencia over the final two days, landing the same five guys in the top ten of the GC after three stages, with Jacob Erker taking the overall win.

Stage 2: Acton to Agua Dulce Road Race

Day two was a road race, and by all accounts, one of the toughest in the Southern California season. A 72 mile affair over rolling terrain on a 24 mile loop, the riders faced approximately 900 feet of climbing per lap.

After a fast start with local tough guys Chris Walker (Velo RPM), Swami's Chris McDonald and Excel Sports' Cody Waite riding hard and making moves for Schroeder to cover, a group of the strongest got away: Walker, McDonald, Waite, and Schroeder's Jacob Erker took off, and were bridged by Team Monex's John Wordin.

Erker, who had no incentive to work with so many of his teammates comfortably near the top after the time trial, sat on, and the race came back together for the final lap. In the end, it was Schroeder's ladies' man Dane Jankowiak who got away with Team Monex's Patrick Fetzer and a rider from RPM/Velo. They were bridged by KB Home's Nate Faulkner, and as soon as he caught on, Jankowiak kicked in the afterburners and took his chances on a solo bid.

Jankowiak's brave move sent him off on a lonely ten mile slog in the wind, but Dane, only 19 years old, but already a salty dog, was going strong. At one kilometer to go, Jankowiak was feeling the win in his bones, but at 20 meters from the line, he was caught and passed by Sierra Nevada/Cliff Bar's Daniel Ramsey.

"The whole team rode so well," said Jankowiak. "I wanted that win so bad, but that's bike racing."

Despite Dane's disappointment, teamwork paid off and set the Schroeder Ironmen up with a GC stranglehold going into the final day, occupying five out of the top six spots.

Set on a windy one mile, four corner course with a pretty good hill leading up to the finish, stage 3 looked like it could be a tricky one. Short on sprinters with Mike Tillman busy in San Diego qualifying for the Track World Cup, and Miguel Meza riding the Vuelta de las Americas in Mexico, the team faced this race with no real sprinter, and it looked like it could be a tough. The only real threat to the GC was Sierra Nevada/Cliff Bar's Daniel Ramsey, who is no slouch in the finish, and Ofoto-Lombardi Sports' Keith Horowitz, not a bad speedster himself, looking to put a posse together in an effort to stem Schroeder's tide.

The plan going into the race was to keep Ramsey away from the mid-point sprint and time bonus, and keep it together to preserve the GC; but things went even better than that when Jacob Erker, who started the race in yellow, sprinted on the uphill to take the time bonus himself and cement his lead.

With Erker set to take the GC by simply staying upright, the attacks continued. At 30 minutes to go, Aaron Olson, Pete Knudsen, Ryan Lane (Velo RPM), Chris McDonald (Swamis), and Victor Ayala (Dasani) got a lead of about 15 seconds, but Keith Horowitz and the KB Home team rode hard at the front of the pack to reel it in. The hill and the cross/headwind took their toll as well, and with 20 minutes to go, it was back together. Adam Livingston put in an effort that saw him off the front and joined by David Gustafson of Viejas, but they were caught, and then it was Ken Toman (Team Monex) laying down the smack; but to no avail. The race stayed more or less together for a sprint finale.

With two laps to go, Jacob Erker and Ryan Lane went free, along with Nate Faulkner (KB Home) and Zombies' Marco Rios. They and were bridged by Aaron Olson, with a hard charging pack on his heels. In the end, it was Olson, looking good, and sprinting to stage victory and second place in the GC.

Erker followed in 5th for the stage, and took top GC honors.

In the end, the Schroeder Ironmen occupied 5 of the top ten spots in the GC.